Tonight through tomorrow evening is the Jewish holiday of Purim.
Purim celebrates the reversal of the decree by the evil Haman to kill the Jews. The genocide plot was foiled, and they were safe.
The story of Purim is recounted in the Book of Esther. According to Rabbi Morrie Wruble, quoted in an article by Deborah Fineblum
The Megillah is the only one of our sacred texts where the name of God is not mentioned even once.
God’s role in the story is hidden.
According to Rabbi Wruble, Purim reminds us that “even in dark times, when God is the most hidden, He is with us nonetheless.”
This hidden nature is reflected in the holiday’s signature food: the Hamentaschen, a triangular dough cookie filled with a sweet filling like jelly or chocolate.
The cookie reminds us that the sweetness of life is there, even if we can’t see it.
Last year at Purim, most of the country wasn’t yet impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, but in my community it was the first virtual holiday.
So we arrive full circle, now hidden behind face masks in addition to Purim masks, even more hidden than usual.
But beneath the masks, beyond the anxiety of the virus, the inevitable sweetness of life exists. Even if it’s hidden, we must trust that it is there.
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